Women's Basketball Hall of Fame facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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Established	1999 (1999)
Location	700 Hall of Fame Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37915
Type	Sport hall of fame

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame is a special place that celebrates people who have made a big difference in women's basketball. It opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. This Hall of Fame is the only one of its kind that honors women's basketball at all levels. Knoxville is a great place for it because many people there love women's basketball. It's also home to the University of Tennessee's Lady Vols team, once coached by the famous Pat Summitt. She was one of the very first people to be honored here!

By 2017, the Hall of Fame had been open for 19 years. It had honored 157 amazing people, adding six new members that year. People can be nominated for the Hall of Fame in different groups. These include Coach, Player, International Player, and Contributor.

Exploring the Hall of Fame

What to See at the Hall

The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame has some really cool things to see. One of the most amazing is the world's largest basketball! It's 30 feet tall and weighs 10 tons. You can find it in the north part of the building.

Test Your Skills on the Courts

Inside the Hall, there are special basketball courts. You can try out your basketball skills on three different courts. These courts show the Hall's main idea: "honoring the past, celebrating the present, and promoting the future" of women's basketball. You can also try a timed dribbling course or practice your passing. There's even a fun photo area where you can pretend to be a basketball player from different times in history!

Remembering Pat Summitt

Near the entrance of the Hall of Fame, you'll find the Pat Summitt Rotunda. This area is dedicated to Pat Summitt. She was a founding member of the Hall's board and was inducted in the very first class in 1999. The courtyard outside this area is shaped like a basketball. It's made of many bricks, each with a special message. Many people have their names or messages engraved on these bricks to leave their mark at the Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Honor

The Hall of Honor is a special room inside the Hall of Fame. This is where the achievements of every person who has been inducted are recognized and celebrated.

The Eastman Statue

At the entrance of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, there's a large bronze statue called the Eastman Statue. It's 17 feet tall and was made by Elizabeth MacQueen. This statue shows what the Hall of Fame is all about: honoring the past, celebrating the present, and helping women's basketball grow in the future. Each year, new inductees receive a smaller copy of this statue, also called the "Eastman."

Amazing Teams in History

Trailblazers of the Game

Many teams have made history in women's basketball. Here are some of the most famous ones:

All American Red Heads

The All American Red Heads were a professional women's basketball team that played for 50 years! They played from 1936 to 1986, which is the longest time any women's professional team has ever played. They were known for their fun tricks on the court. They even played against men's teams and won many games. In 1972, they won 500 out of 642 games against men's teams! The Red Heads traveled all over the United States, Mexico, Canada, and the Philippines. They were considered one of the greatest women's basketball teams in the world.

Edmonton Commercial Graduates Basketball Club

The Edmonton Commercial Graduates Basketball Club, also known as the "Grads," started in Canada in 1915. Only 38 women ever played for this special club. The Grads played 522 official games in Canada, the United States, and Europe. In 25 years, they had an incredible record of 502 wins and only 20 losses! Many people think they were the greatest women's team ever. They even went to four Olympic Games (though women's basketball wasn't an official Olympic sport yet) and won four unofficial Olympic titles. The inventor of basketball, Dr. James A. Naismith, praised them for their amazing record and great sportsmanship.

Wayland Baptist Flying Queens

The Wayland Baptist Flying Queens were a very innovative team. Starting in 1950, they were sponsored by an air service, which meant they traveled to games by private planes! They were also one of the first women's teams to offer athletic scholarships. The Flying Queens had an incredible 131-game winning streak from 1953 to 1958. During this time, they won four national championships in a row. They are still the only women's team in history to win over 1,300 games!

Mighty Macs

The Immaculata "Mighty Macs" teams from 1972-1974 were very important for college women's basketball. They won the first three national championships for college women's basketball. The Mighty Macs were also the first women's team to appear on national television. They were also the first women's team to play at Madison Square Garden, a famous arena. Their inspiring story was even made into a movie called The Mighty Macs in 2011. Three players from these teams are now in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

Delta State Teams

The Delta State teams from 1975, 1976, and 1977 also won three national championships in a row. After their women's basketball program restarted in 1973, they quickly became a powerhouse. In their second season, they went undefeated with a 28-0 record and ended Immaculata's championship streak. During their three championship years, Delta State had an amazing record of 93 wins and only 4 losses. They even had a record-breaking 51-game winning streak! Two players from these teams, Margaret Wade and Lusia Harris Stewart, are in the Hall of Fame.

USA Women's Basketball Teams

The 1976 USA Women's Basketball team made history by winning the United States' first Olympic medal in women's basketball – a silver medal! This showed the world that the USA would be a strong force in the sport. Since then, USA Women's Basketball Teams have been incredibly dominant in the Olympics. They have won 7 gold medals and 1 bronze, with a record of 55 wins and only 1 loss! The 1976 team paved the way for this success, and 11 players from that team are now in the Hall of Fame.

The 1996 USA Olympic Basketball Team was also incredibly successful. They won the Olympic gold medal in Atlanta, going undefeated with an 8-0 record in the Olympics. Before the Olympics, they had a perfect 52-0 record in their training games, making their overall record 60-0! This team was very popular, drawing huge crowds. Ten players from the 1996 Olympic Team are now in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

Helm Foundation

The Helms Foundation was started in 1936. It helped choose national championship teams and All-American teams for many college sports, including women's basketball. They even looked back at basketball history to rank teams from as early as 1901. Thirteen members of the Helms Foundation are also in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

Honored Inductees

Class of 1999

Class of 2000

Class of 2001

Class of 2002

Class of 2003

Class of 2004

Class of 2005

Class of 2006

Class of 2007

Class of 2008

Class of 2009

Class of 2010

Class of 2011

Class of 2012

Class of 2013

Class of 2014

Class of 2015

Class of 2016

Class of 2017

Class of 2018

Class of 2019

Class of 2021

Class of 2022

Class of 2023

Class of 2024

Class of 2025

See also

In Spanish: Women's Basketball Hall of Fame para niños

• List of sports awards honoring women
• List of members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
  • List of players in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
  • List of coaches in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
• FIBA Hall of Fame
  • List of members of the FIBA Hall of Fame
• International Women's Sports Hall of Fame
• Women's Basketball Coaches Association